ABUSE

Feb 17 - A Salvation Army officer accused of physically and sexually abusing dozens of young boys at a boys' home in south Sydney was given the army's silver star award at a function late last year, despite the allegations against him.

Feb 21 - IN an attempt to defend himself against allegations of sexual abuse, disgraced teacher Gerard Byrnes wrote to his principal declaring he never had inappropriate contact with children, and in fact many approached him.

Feb 22 - A CONFIDENTIAL Vatican inquiry that criticised an alleged victim of child sex abuse was conducted by three senior serving Australian priests, two of whom now say the man may have been motivated by money.

Feb 22 - Parents and teachers have called for an urgent overhaul of religious education in schools after year 6 children were given material claiming girls who wear revealing clothes are inviting sexual assault, and homosexuality, masturbation and sex before marriage are sinful.

Catholic Church

Feb 18 - Pope Francis has begun a week of meetings with Roman Catholic cardinals, including Australian Cardinal George Pell, to discuss how to overhaul the Catholic Church's scandal-hit bureaucracy and finances.

Feb 22 - Kuala Lumpur (AFP) - A Malaysian conservative group's insistence that Muslim men wearing silk was a "sign of the apocalypse" prompted a call Friday for religious authorities to study whether to impose a fatwa on the fabric, a report said.

Judaism

Feb 19 - Budapest (AFP) - Hungarian Jewish leaders said Tuesday they had begun talks with Russian authorities over the return of a huge collection of religious items looted by the Red Army during World War II.

Feb 19 - Durban (South Africa) (AFP) - Carrying Zulu warrior shields and draped in leopard skins, the men of South Africa's Shembe Church move hypnotically as they go through the steps of a traditional religious ritual.

Feb 21 - LONDON (Reuters) - Leading Christian clergy in Britain, including the head of the Church of England, attacked welfare cuts by the Conservative-led government on Thursday, putting them at odds with Prime Minister David Cameron.

RELIGION & SOCIETY

Feb 20 - Sydney (AFP) - An Australian missionary was arrested in North Korea after he left a pamphlet promoting Christianity in a Buddhist temple, his Chinese travel companion has recounted, as his wife says his fate rests with God.